Heating system.



R. S. PORTER.

HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION men JAN-10, 191s.

Patented May 22, 19.17.

Z i 1 i E 1 n F 4 A IED stra ns )nAT Wm v RAY S. PORTER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO BELDEN-PORTER-GRAY COMPANY, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION.

HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application filed January 10, 1916. 1 Serial No. 71 ,322.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY S. Pon'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and in the steam line return to the boiler through this seal. A most important feature of this arrangement is that the water level in the boiler or generator will not fluctuate under varying pressure, as so frequently and injuriously happens where boilers follow the usualconstruction in which the return pipe enters at the bottom of the boiler. This fluctuation is due to sudden rises of pressure within the boiler which forces the water out of the boiler through the return pipe. Of course such a result is impossible in-the construction of my invention. A second object is to provide the water return line with a drum for separating the air from the water priorto its on tering the boiler and a vent for allowingthe air to escape. A third object is to provide said drum with a passageway for allowing the water in the seal to betemporarily displaced when the pressure in the boiler rises to a certain height, thus allowing the superfluous steam in the boiler to escape through the vent without removing any water from the system or without draining the boiler.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in one form,-

.Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my improved form of vapor' heating system. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the separating drum shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a modified form of separating drum.

An ordinary boiler 10 adapted for vapor heating systems is indicated in Fig. 1. This boiler is shown having a steam dome 11 and is connected with a flue 12.

From the top of the dome 11 issues a steam line 13 which may be of any suitable size to accommodate the number of radiators installed. Parallel to steam line 13 is a return line lel which conducts away the air and water present in the radiators. Both of these lines may be suitably inclined in the usual manner, being highest where line 13 leaves the boiler and gradually sloping downward. At suitable intervals on these two lines risers 15, 161and 17,.18 may be provided to communicate with radiators 19 and 20. The steam risers 15 and 17 will, as customary, be connected with the tops of the radiators'19 and 20 and may be provided with graduated rod valves 21 and 22 for regulating the amount of steam vapor required. The returns 16 and 18,.as shown, are connected with lower portions of the radiators, as is also a common method.

' Above the steam dome 11 in the vicinity of boiler 10 is situated a drum 23, shown in detail in Fig. 2. A cylindrical casing 2% is provided with caps 25 and 26 threaded to receive pipes 27 and 28. Within-cylinder 2% is attached a pipe 29 in direct communication with pipe28 and terminating near cap 25 in an elbow 30. The return water and air line l l enters the cylinder 24 opposite the open end of the elbow 30. Pipe 29 is provided with a small aperture 31 near the cap 26. When water and air enter the cylinder 2% through the pipe line 1 1 the air escapes through pipe 27 and the water through aperture 31 flows back to the boiler through pipe 28. As seen in Fig. 1 the pipe 27 is connected. with the flue 12 through a pipe 32. The suction present in the flue aids in withdrawing the air and condensed water from pipe line 1d and s0 quickens the action of the device by causing the system to operate at a partial vacuum.

Pipe 28 extends downward from drum 23 and is connected with a short pipe 34 to which is connected an upwardly-extended pipe 35 communicating with the top of the steam dome 11. All the water which is re turned to the boiler passes through pipes 28, 84 and 35, which, as noted, are arranged like a U and form a seal so that with a normal pressure the steam in the boiler does not escape through the pipe 35.

The steam pipe 13 is provided at its upper portion adjacent the junction with a downwardly-extended pipe 36 with an automatic air valve 37 This valve operates to release all air in the main steam or vapor line, the air in the radiators and branch lines passing through the return line 14 and releasing through pipe 32. It follows that immediately upon the formation of vapor or steam the air in the entire system will be quickly expelled ahead of the incoming vapor and the system will thereafter work at a partial vacuum due to the suction in the flue 12, causing complete and eflicient circulation.

Drum 23 serves a double purpose, namely as a safety device as well as an air-separating device. lVhen the pressure in boiler 10 increases above a certain point the water in the seal will be forced upward through pipe 29 and into the space between cylinder 24 and pipe 29. This will occur until pipes 34 and 35 have been sufficiently drained, when the excess steam in the boiler will flow through them and into the flue 12 through the vent 32. When enough steam has escaped to decrease the pressure, the water will flow down again through hole 31 to again fill up the seal. It hence becomes evident that the storage capacity of the cylinder 24 must be great enough to hold the water displaced'from the seal, so that the water will not fill the vent 27 and prevent the steam from escaping.

In practice it has been found that the device operates efiiciently when pipe 36 has about twice the diameter of pipes 28 and 35. The elbow 30 on pipe 29 directs the water discharged from said pipe against casing 24 and prevents it from entering the vent 27 and the return line 14.

A modified form of drum is shown in Fig. 3, in which a body 40 is provided with caps 41 and 42, the same as in Fig. 2. The safety outlet pipe 38 is, however, set to one side in cap 41 and the vent pipe 43 is set in the opposite side of cap 42, and pipe 38 extends, well up to the cap 42. This prevents the water discharge through pipe 38 from entering either pipe 42 or the water line 44, and serves the same purpose as the elbow 30 in the preferred form.

In other systems similar to my invention the objects of my inventionhave been provided in more or less cumbersome and un-. satisfactory ways, employing complicated and delicate devices which were diflicult to regulateandadjust. My invention employs nothing but pipes andpipe fittings andthe separating drum. This simplifies the, installation and cost of the system and renders itentirely automatic, requiring no attendance;v further thanto firethe, boiler. Due to the fact that both the water line and the steam line of the system issue fromthe top of the boiler, the crown sheet of the same can never'become .dry, as no water is displaced from the boiler other than by evaporation, so that injury to the boiler is improbable. The pipes 35 and 28 may be made any desired length, and so the device will operate very accurately at any desired pressure.

I claim:

' 1. A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a system of feed and return pipes each opening into the top of the generator above the water line therein, and a water trap extending to a point below said water line with which both the feed and return flow pipes are con nected and to which the condensate from both lines is discharged.

2.-A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a system of feed and return pipes each opening into the top of the generator above the water line therein, and a water trap extending to a point below said'water line with which both the feed and return flow pipes are connected, said feed and return flow pipes be ing severally connected with the trap at respectively different points.

3. A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a system of feed and return pipes each opening into the top of the generator above the water line therein, a water trap extending to a point below said water line with which both the feed and return flow pipes are connected, and a blow-off pipe connected with the trap and open to atmosphere.

4. A heating systemcomprising a generator for steam or vapor, a system of feed and return pipes each opening into the top of the generator above the water line therein, a water trap extending to a point below said water line with which both the feed and return flow pipes are connected, a blow-01f pipe connected with the trap and open to atmosphere, and a chimney having a flue with which the waste pipe of the generator and the blow-off pipe connect.

5. A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a feed pipe opening from the top of said generator, and having branches communicating with the several radiators, a return pipe in communication with the several radiators, said return pipe also entering the generator at the top thereof, and a coil of said pipe being formed to extend below the water line of the. generator and providing a water trap in said return pipe.

6. A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a feed pipe opening from the top of said generator, and having branches communicating with the several radiators, a return pipe in communication with the several radiators, said return pipe also entering the generator at the top thereof, a coil of said pipe being formed to extend below the water line of the generator and providing a water trap in said return pipe, and a section of pipe connecting said feed pipe with the lower portion of said trap.

7. A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a feed pipe opening from the top of said generator and having connections to the radiation members of the heating system, a return pipe having connections with said members, an expansion chamber in connection with said return pipe, and a section of pipe connected at one end with the expansion chamber and at the other end with the top of the generator and extending below the water line of the gener ator to form a water trap below said water line.

8. A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a feed pipe opentrom the top of said generator and having connections to the radiation members of the heating system, a return pipe having connections with said members, an expansion chamber in connection with said return pipe, a section of pipe connected at one end with the expansion chamber and at the other end with the top of the generator and extending below the water line of the generator to form a water trap below said water line, and a blow-off pipe connected with the top 01": said expansion chamber.

9. A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a feed pipe opening from the top of said generator and having connections to the radiation members of the heating system, a return pipe having connections with said members, an expaning sion chamber in connection with said return pipe, a section of pipe connected at one end with the expansion chamber and at the other end with the top of the generator and extending below the water line of the generator to form a water trap below said water line, an extension of said last named section of pipe within the expansion chamber and opening close to the top thereof, said extension being provided with small openings at the bottom of the expansion chamber, and a blowoff pipe connected with the top of the expansion chamber.

10. A heating system comprising a generator for steam or vapor, a feed pipe opening from the top of the generator and having connections to the radiators of the heating system, a return pipe having connee tions with said radiators, a Water trap connected at one end with the top of the boiler and at the other end with the fine of a chimney adapted to counterbalance the pressure in the boiler, means for receiving the water in said trap when the boiler pressure rises above normal, means for permitting the water in said receiving means to drain back into the trap after the superfluous steam in the boiler has been blown into said flue, and connections between said feeding and return pipes and said trap for returning the condensate from both of said lines to the boiler through said trap.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RAY S. PORTER.

Witnesses:

F. A. WHITELEY, H. A. BOWMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

